Endoscopes are well-known in the medical arts and are commonly used for numerous medical procedures. One such procedure is removing targeted tissue from the gastrointestinal mucosal wall of a human subject. Various types of tissue, such as for example, polyps, lesions, tumors or adenomas, may be removed for various medical purposes, such as for example, treatment or diagnostic testing.
One conventional polypectomy technique for removing targeted tissue is cauterization. For example, cauterizing devices may be used to remove an unwanted polyp. A cauterizing device uses heat to separate the targeted tissue from the gastrointestinal wall of a patient. The removed tissue may be discarded or captured for testing.
Mechanical devices, such as for example, snares, are also known in the art. For example, a snare may be used to separate a polyp from the gastrointestinal wall of a patient. Specifically, an operator may deploy or open a snare loop, and position the snare around a polyp. By retrieval or closing of the snare loop, the operator can cut into the tissue and separate the tissue from the gastrointestinal wall. Subsequently, the operator may use a suction source to capture and retain the tissue after separation from the wall.